Smoker&#39;s mouthpiece



Oct. 24, .1967 K. HUBER 3,348,553

7 SMOKER'S MOUTHPIECE Filed March 9, 1965 F/Gl INVENTOR KA RL HUBER United States Patent 3,348,553 SMOKERS MOUTHPIECE Karl Huber, Newark, N.J., assiguor to Emkay Inc., Newark, N.J., a corporati0n of Delaware Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 438,198 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-194) The present invention deals with a smokers mouthpiece and more particularly with the combination of a cylindrical 'body of tobacco having an end portion thereof connected with a mouthpiece wherein a hot smoke stream from the tobacco body is subjected to cooling and the vapors entrained therein are subject to condensation.

It is known to provide filter mouthpieces for cigarettes and cigars for the purpose of extracting to some degree the tar vapors which are entrained in the hot smoke. It is also known to ventilate cigarette and cigar mouthpieces to provide a cooling effect on hot smoke prior to reaching the smokers mouth.

While various attempts have been made to provide a means for obtaining the combined advantages of vapor extraction and cooling, such attempts have been made with the sacrifice of the normal eifortless intake draw by the smoker and the sacrifice of the so-called taste to which the smoker has become accustomed. In ventilating a mouthpiece to provide for a cooling air draft, the normal desired smoke concentration is reduced by admixture with air thereby altering the normal taste. Also, in such a case, the smoker resorts to a conscious effort to increase the smoke-air intake to provide suitable smoke concentration. This requires a longer intake draw which is not entirely satisfactory. Regarding vapor extraction, i.e. tar and nicotine vapors, the extraction depends entirely on the eifectiveness of the filter.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved means for both cooling a hot smoke and extracting a substantially significant quantity of the tars and nicotine therefrom.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a mouthpiece means which simultaneously cools a hot smoke, extracts vapors by condensation, and filters the smoke through a turbulence zone. The invention will be further understood in consideration of the drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a partly elevational and partly cross-sectional View of a mouthpiece in accordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 22 of FIGURE 1.

Regarding the drawings, a cylindrical body of tobacco 1, e.g. a cigarette comprising tobacco 1' is inserted at one end into an open mating receiving end 2 of a mouthpiece 3 which may be provided with a reduced tip 4 at the other end 5 for accommodating gripping by the teeth should it be desirable. Otherwise, the tip 4 can be eliminated.

The mouthpiece 3 is preferably composed of a metal tube having a high thermal conductivity, e.g. a tube of aluminum, silver or gold or alloys thereof. The tube is provided with a plurality of apertures 6 therethrough circumferentially spaced preferably equidistant of each other about the tube periphery. These apertures are preferably formed through the tube 3 at an angle directed toward the tobacco receiving end 2. A porous cylindrical plug 7 composed of a random arrangement of compacted thermally conductive thread-like metal filaments is located internally of the tube 3 spaced from the tobacco receiving end 2 and with the body thereof located in direct communication with the apertures 6 with the apertures being located intermediate the ends of the plug 7. The porous cylindrical plug 7 is preferably composed of a mass of filaments compacted so that the sleeve-like peripheral por- 3,348,553 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 tion 8 adjacent its periphery is more dense than the core portion 9. The purpose for such compaction is to provide an air diffusion means at a selective area so that air admitted through the apertures will spread out in the sleeve-like portion 8 adjacent the plug periphery and eifectively prevent direct channeling of air into core portion 9. Thus, the core portion 9 will become aerated by air intake which is so controlled by means of the compacted sleeve-like portion 8 that smoke passing through core portion 9 will not be sufiiciently entrained by air to necessitate more than normal intake draw. Since the core portion 9 will be continuously aerated during smoking, the smoke will be subjected to air cooling action. In addition, several other functions are provided. On the one hand, the air diffusing along the periphery of the sleeve-like portion 8 will maintain the tube 3 in a cool condition while the tube 3, which is in intimate thermal contact with the plug 7, will conduct heat from plug 7. On the other hand, the cooling efiect of the sleeve-like portion 8 will cause nicotine and tars to condense along the core portion 9 adjacent the sleeve-like portion 8. In addition, the particularly directed orifices insure penetration of air through sleeve-like portion 8 into core portion 9 to provide a smoke turbulence zone in core portion 9 whereby the smoke is alforded more intimate contact with the core material for a time sufficient to induce adequate condensation of the smoke vapors. Furthermore, since the core portion 9 is less compacted than sleeve area 8, in a normal draw through core portion 9 will be sufiicient to provide a normal draw from the seated end of the tobacco cylinder since the draw will be substantially unaffected by the air entering the plug through apertures 6.

Various modifications of the invention are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A smokers mouthpiece comprising a cylindrical tube having an inlet and outlet and composed of thermally conductive metal, a porous cylindrical plug composed of randomly arranged compacted thermally conductive metal filaments contained in the tube in intimate thermal contact with the tube, the plug comprising a sleeve-like portion adjacent its periphery and surrounding a core, the sleeve-like portion being more highly compacted than the core, and means providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures through the tube wall located intermediate the ends of the plug, the apertures being directed at an angle toward the tube inlet.

2. A smokers mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein the contents of the sleeve-like portion is sufificiently compacted to provide for a difiusion of air through an area thereof adjacent the apertures.

3. A smokers mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein the said core is compacted sufficiently to provide for turbulence of a smoke stream passing therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,127,771 2/1915 Jones 131208 1,618,599 2/1927 McElney 131187 X 2,211,166 8/1940 Ross 131-208 X 2,459,670 1/ 1949 Morris 131208 X 2,804,874 9/1957 Visnick l3110 2,958,328 11/1960 Bartolomeo 13110 X 3,043,314 7/1962 Bartolomeo 131-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,415 3/1944 Australia.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. A SMOKER''S MOUTHPIECE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL TUBE HAVING AN INLET AND OUTLET AND COMPOSED OF THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE METAL, A POROUS CYLINDRICAL PLUG COMPOSED OF RANDOMLY ARRANGED COMPACTED THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE METAL FILAMENTS CONTAINED IN THE TUBE IN INTIMATE THERMAL CONTACT WITH THE TUBE, THE PLUG COMPRISING A SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION ADJACENT ITS PERIPHERY AND SURROUNDING A CORE, THE SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION BEING MORE HIGHLY COMPACTED THAN THE CORE, AND MEANS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APERTURES THROUGH THE TUBE WALL LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE PLUG, THE APERTURES BEING DIRECTED AT AN ANGLE TOWARD THE TUBE INLET. 